Why does the lock in the garage freeze? How to open a frozen lock in a garage. Why do castles freeze?

There is probably no car owner in our latitudes who has not at least once encountered such an unpleasant phenomenon as a frozen lock in the garage, which sometimes requires a lot of effort and nerves to open.

And, of course, according to the law of world meanness, the lock freezes on the very day when the owner of the car is in a hurry to get somewhere. What to do when the internal lock in the garage freezes - reasons and ways to quickly solve the problem.

Before considering ways to open a frozen lock in a garage, it’s worth considering one more small topic - why it freezes in the first place.

There are only three reasons why locks freeze: there is grease, dirt, and moisture inside the mechanism. And often everything is mixed up.

It has been noticed that lever-type locks resist frost much better than cylinder-type locks. It's all about the size of the components of the castle themselves:

• in the lever lock, large flat plates loaded with springs are used as code elements, due to which such a device fights moisture and dirt quite successfully;
• the cylinder lock freezes much more often, because the elements of the mechanism here are very small and are made with high accuracy. Often, a grain of sand is enough for the device to jam, and here such aggressive conditions exist.

Another reason is the use of lubricant. In severe frosts, its use is harmful proper operation lock, as it collects waste and dirt, and then thickens in the cold, so it is better to refrain from using it altogether.

Let's summarize the reasons for freezing locks on garage doors:

1. The device is not adapted for use in cold weather or generally outdoors.
2. The mechanism is clogged with grease, moisture, waste and dirt. Or even all together.

Be that as it may, the main problem is the presence of moisture inside the lock. And understanding the essence of the problem is already half the solution.

How to defrost a lock in a garage in winter

There are several proven ways to quickly warm up a frozen interior lock in a garage:

1. Simple and convenient option- open fire.
   Very important when the owner is in a hurry. Often an ignited piece of paper held close to the lock's opening is enough. Despite its simplicity, the method is effective and helps in most cases. The problem is different - you will have to use the lit paper constantly, because before the next opening, the melted moisture will freeze again and jam the mechanism. You can also heat the key itself - if the mechanism is not frozen too much, this may be enough.
2. Another more reliable option is to warm up a frozen padlock (or internal one) with a blowtorch or gas torch.
   High temperature allows not only to melt, but also to remove moisture altogether.
3. An effective option is to use antifreeze, alcohol, and antifreeze.
   They must be poured inside the frozen castle, after which they will react actively with the ice. In just a few minutes, performance will return.

In addition to the substances indicated in the last paragraph, you can use brake fluid; it is no less effective, but slower - you will have to wait about 15 minutes.

In winter, it is best to always have with you a small medical syringe filled with one of the above reagents, which will allow you to open a jammed garage lock at any time without any problems.

Another option is ready-made pocket defrosters. Purchase them in advance and there should be no problems opening them.

Freezing Prevention

So that the lock in the garage does not freeze, and headache Since there was no problem with opening it at all, choose for installation devices intended for use outdoors. As mentioned above, the best choice– locks with a lever mechanism.

In general, it’s good with the key window closed, that is, when, when turning the key, both of its bits are in contact with the lever. A practice-tested parameter is springs on levers. The tougher they are, the less likely they are to jam and freeze.

Another important point– be sure to exclude the possibility of direct moisture. Even an expensive professional lock will freeze if snow and rain pour directly into it.

Another unpleasant cause of freezing is condensation. When it’s frosty outside and the temperature inside the garage is above zero, the lock will inevitably become covered with frost and freeze.

In this situation, it is a kind of cold bridge, and, unfortunately, it will no longer be possible to prevent the occurrence of condensation - this is thought out in advance, even at the stage of designing the room.

Bottom line

The reason for freezing of any lock on the street is moisture getting inside it, which turns into ice in the cold. Best options quick opening of the device – heat and chemical reagents - antifreeze, alcohol, brake fluid, antifreeze.

To prevent the garage lock from freezing in cold weather, it must be kept clean and under no circumstances should it be lubricated. Periodically, it is worth taking care of cleaning the mechanism, because dirt and waste will inevitably accumulate in it.

In the end we got three simple conditions that will help get rid of the problem of freezing locks:

1. The mechanism must be kept clean.
   No working out, grease or dirt inside.
2. The device must be protected from direct exposure to precipitation.
3. And most importantly, the lock must initially be designed for outdoor use.

Probably every garage owner has encountered the problem of frozen garage door locks. Sometimes there are cases when the door freezes constantly, and the owners of the garage do not know how to solve this problem. In addition, there are many tips on the Internet on how to protect the lock from freezing.

But as experts say, some of this advice can only do harm. The lock in the garage freezes, we will look at what to do, videos, photos and much more in this article.

Why do castles freeze?

If your lock freezes, it is not enough to simply defrost it. It is necessary to find the reason for this in order to prevent such problems. There are three most common reasons that cause locks and doors to freeze:

• dirt;
• moisture;
• lubricant

The most common cause of freezing is that dirt, grease and moisture are present in the lock at the same time. If the inside of the lock is in a perfectly clean condition, in most cases it will work perfectly, even in the most severe frosts. It should be understood that there are different types locks with different design features. Therefore, some types of locks will withstand frost well, while others will not. For example, cylinder ones work very poorly on the street. Such products are made with increased manufacturing precision and are therefore resistant to even small grains of sand. The code elements and the small spring stick together in the cold and it becomes impossible to open the lock. If in addition to this a drop of water gets inside, the problem will become even more serious. When purchasing a lock, you must immediately clarify whether it can be used outdoors. Some manufacturers indicate whether their products are suitable for outdoor use.

Lever locks are better suited for garage doors. They tolerate aggressive environments better than cylinder ones. Unlike the small and very delicate code elements of cylinder mechanisms, lever mechanisms have fairly large plates and a reliable spring that better tolerate dirt or lag. A deadbolt lock is also often used for garages. Although the mechanism of this lock is quite durable, it is not recommended for use to protect expensive property. In most cases, it is quite easy to open it, so this option can only be used in conjunction with other types of locks.

How to lubricate a door lock

There is an opinion that lubricant will help the lock resist sub-zero temperatures and extend the service life. But that's not true. In most cases, lubricant will only harm the mechanism. Why? It collects dirt and dust, and also thickens in the cold. It would be best to avoid lubrication completely. More suitable option- from time to time, disassemble the lock and clean it from dirt.

How to protect a lock from freezing

The first thing you should do to prevent the lock from freezing is to choose it correctly. You should only buy mechanisms that are intended for outdoor use. As we have already discussed above, lever locks are better suited for this task. It is even better if this mechanism has a closed key window.

In addition, the mechanism should be protected as best as possible from moisture. If the castle is constantly exposed to rain or snow, it will constantly freeze. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the mechanism from snow and rain.

Another problem is condensation. Some people decide to properly insulate their garage doors and the lock itself. You can also make a so-called “pocket”. This is a metal box that is welded on all sides. Only one edge is not welded, for installation in the lock pocket. After this, the made “pocket” is welded directly into the door. Besides, this technology You can even use it to install a lock on a gate or gate without fear of it freezing.

How to defrost a lock in a garage in winter

There are some ways to open your garage door if the lock is frozen. But before that, I would like to mention that in such a situation you cannot use force, because this can lead to the key breaking and the situation will be even worse.

Most in a simple way will pour boiling water over the castle. This method is very simple and does not require much effort. But, after this procedure, the mechanism must be completely dried. Otherwise, the problem will recur and quickly disable the mechanism.

The next method will be the method using fire. To do this, simply set fire to the newspaper and bring it to the key hole. The fire will quickly melt the ice and most likely help open the door. This method very common, but it is worth paying attention to its disadvantages. For example, after use, the paint on the doors burns or black spots appear that cannot be washed off. Therefore after use this method The garage door needs to be repainted.

If the newspaper does not help to defrost the locks, and there is very little time, then you can use blowtorch or a gas burner. This method is better than boiling water for the reason that after using the burner the mechanism does not need to be dried. But the disadvantages of the method remain the same as those of the newspaper. Although some gas-burners They have flame adjustment, so if used carefully, the burner will not cause damage to the doors.

The next method is to pour antifreeze, alcohol or antifreeze into the lock. When interacting with ice, they loosen it, restoring the functionality of the mechanism.

The easiest way is to buy a special liquid, with which you can quickly defrost this mechanism. You can buy defrosting liquid in almost any big city at an affordable price.

Many car enthusiasts have at least once needed to open a frozen garage lock in winter. Usually it all starts with a positive morning.

Dressed warmly, we go to the garage and rejoice that the sudden frost has turned the slush into ice and turned the trees, wires and bushes into fairy-tale decorations decorated with frost. Experienced car enthusiasts, barely looking outside the window, stock up on some the necessary items that will help open the frozen one. But we have no time for that; in our pockets we only have the keys to the house, garage and car, a driver’s license, a wallet and gloves.

We approach the garage door, admire how beautifully the door is frozen, and try to insert the key into the lock. It happens that the key is inserted into the hole, but does not turn, and sometimes it is not inserted at all. Surprise! This is, of course, a literary formulation. In fact, usually completely different words come to mind.

So, the beauty around is no longer pleasing. The question arises in your head: “Who is to blame and what to do?” It’s generally clear who is to blame, but let’s show tact and diplomacy. Let's go. What we shall do?

How to open a frozen garage lock

So, we are trying to open the frozen garage lock. First, let's focus on what we won't do. We will not put significant effort into the secret of the lock; we will not try our best to push the key in there and break it in unsuccessful attempt crank it up using brute force.

You can try knocking on the lock (if it is a padlock) or on the place where it is attached to the gate. Perhaps the vibration will destroy the ice that has formed inside and you will be able to open the frozen garage door. However, if you can’t even insert the key into the hole, you shouldn’t hope for it.

• Industrial hair dryer – perfect! Warms and dries the lock. But you need a hairdryer and an outlet.
• A blowtorch or a can of gas and a burner - you can try, but be careful! It's an open fire! It is not fire that should reach the castle, but hot air. And make sure it's safe! It's in your garage good ventilation, and there are no sources of gasoline vapors or flammable gases, right?
• Burnt newspaper - see previous paragraph. The difference is that in severe frost the option with a newspaper is practically useless.
• Matches, lighter, warm up the key - maybe it will help.
• A mug of boiling water poured onto the lock - there are two options: the lock will either shrink or freeze even more.
• WD, antifreeze, antifreeze... You'll have to wait, but after some time the lock should open.
• Liquid for defrosting the lock – you won’t have to wait very long, it’s a good option.

The door was opened. We're already late! We run out of the car, close the gate, lock... STOP!!! The lock needs to be dried and lubricated! Otherwise, in the evening we will have to repeat the morning procedure.

Is your garage lock frozen? No problem. On this page I will show you how to open a frozen garage lock in a simple and in a budget way without using any expensive chemicals or tool.

I remember how, as a child, I liked winter, a lot of snow, New Year, sleds, skis and other delights of this frosty time of year.

But when I got my driver's license and bought my first car, then I had an epiphany. It turns out that snow and frost cause only problems that constantly ruin the life of a motorist.

But if previously the only problem that gave me problems was the snow, which must be constantly removed in order to leave my comfortable and dry garage, now I am also faced with harmful influence frost.

Life just so happened that I lost my garage and had to temporarily rent someone else’s.

To be honest, I have never dealt with such garages. I lived in a private house and my garage was in the yard. It would seem that it makes no difference where the garage is - either in the yard, or in a garage cooperative.

But my first winter in such conditions showed that the difference is huge. It’s not even that I have to walk several kilometers to the garage and sometimes think about whether to go closer to pick up the car or go straight to where I wanted to go with this very car.

And the fact is that the real pitfalls began to manifest themselves with the first snow and the first frost.

As always, I urgently needed a car and I ran to the garage. Arriving, I saw a sad picture

Okay, no problem, I’ll clear away the snow in an hour and go.

But what to throw away? The shovel is in the garage... And there’s not a soul around - there’s no one to even ask.

Three hours later I found a shovel. It snowed for two hours. It got dark. Didn't go anywhere...

Before, I never even thought that this could be such a problem that I would have to change my plans, because I always had a shovel in the yard. But you can’t leave it near the garage. The legs will do right away. So now I walk around the city with a shovel

I decided to go in the morning. I've arrived. It's snowing again. It’s good that the shovel is always with me now. I dug it up. The mood was lifted. He inserted the key into the lock. The mood dropped nowhere lower.

In general, the castle was frozen solid.

This was my first time encountering this situation. My home garage was dry, but this one is damp. Naturally, all the dampness condensed in the cold metal lock and froze. This is what it looks like

The owner of the garage also liked to lubricate the lock with brake fluid. In general, I am against lubrication of locks and, especially, with means not intended for this. As a result, over time, all these “lubricants” turned into a nasty emulsion, which further aggravated the situation.

What to do?

I went back, went online, and read some crazy advice. They may not be delusional, but there is no other word for it.

The first tip is to pour boiling water into the castle. Let's say I bring boiling water to the garage. I'll fill the lock and it will open. What's next? This water will freeze in an hour and then I won’t be able to use the lock at all until spring. There is nothing to dry the lock with, since there is not even electricity in the garage. I discarded this idea.

Tip two - spray WD-40 or silicone grease. But all these lubricants are in a closed garage... Okay, I’ll buy more in the store while it’s open. But after calculating the cost of these lubricants, I abandoned this idea. I don't believe that these lubricants will do anything with the rather massive garage locks. Moreover, I previously noticed that silicone grease freezes on metal in cold weather. In general, I rejected this idea.

Tip three is to buy a lock defroster. A small car door lock may thaw, but massive garage locks are unlikely to. Of course, it might thaw if you put half a bucket of it in there, but considering their cost, I came to the conclusion that this is not my way.

Tip four - warm it up with a hairdryer. The advice is just bomb. He smiled and moved on.

Tip six is ​​to light a fire under the garage door and wait until the lock thaws. Or the garage will burn down, especially in such a wind.

I spat on it all and started thinking. I went and had lunch. I thought a little more.

I narrowed the range of requirements, which began to consist of two points:

1. The only way to melt the ice in a castle is by temperature. No amount of silicones, alcohols or WD-40 will help with this when even the keyhole is covered with ice. All these means will not even be able to penetrate into the necessary places. In general, just something hot!
2. So that something hot doesn’t freeze later or burn down the garage. It also did not require electricity.

I think it’s good that I at least managed to pour the anti-freeze into the washer before the onset of such frost. Otherwise, worry about it.

STOP! UNFREEZE!!! Eureka! It became much more pleasant to think. Maybe this is a way out of the situation?

No! Anti-freeze is not the same. But antifreeze is that! It protects against corrosion, has a slight lubricating effect, and the price is budget-friendly. It can also be heated, and after cooling it will not freeze.

In general, I bought a couple of liters of antifreeze, since my antifreeze is still in the same garage with a frozen lock.

I took a plastic bottle and poured antifreeze into it. While I was getting dressed, I put the bottle in hot water.

With another plastic bottle twisted the lid, made a hole in it and took it with him

I came to the garage, screwed a cap with a hole onto the bottle and sparingly poured the contents into the keyholes

A minute later the locks opened!

Having opened the garage, I also watered them from the inside.

Ideally, it would be nice to cover the locks, for example, with polystyrene foam, so that condensation from the garage does not settle on them, but the garage is not mine and it is not for me to decide this issue.

Moreover, the castle didn’t freeze over yet. But now a bottle of antifreeze is always on the balcony. Actually, like a shovel

This is how easy and inexpensive it was to open a frozen lock in the garage. And most importantly, protect yourself from such problems in the future.

Here is a video on the topic The lock in the garage froze

If you have had such a sad experience of locks freezing in your garage and have options for solving this problem, then share in the comments below.

Peace and smooth roads to everyone!

Winter is a rather unpleasant period, which is characterized by many unpleasant factors. Car owners especially dislike winter, as they need to take a number of steps to avoid becoming a victim of harsh weather. One of common problems, which appear among garage owners - a frozen lock. It is used to protect property from thieves, but in winter the lock freezes so much that even the owner himself cannot enter the garage. And if you are reading these lines, then, undoubtedly, you have also been in such a situation. How can you get to your vehicle? How to open a frozen garage lock? What can I do to prevent it from freezing in the future? You will find answers to these questions in this article.

We'll look at a few effective ways, thanks to which you can solve the problem without calling specialists.

WHY DOES THE LOCK FREEZE?

How does it happen that metal lock might it freeze? Everyone knows that objects cannot just freeze. The liquid freezes, and under the influence of low temperature it also expands. If a castle freezes, then it is logical to conclude that there was water in it. But where did she come from? There are several reasons.

As you can see, the liquid turns into ice, disrupting the operation of the lock. Knowing the reason, we can find correct solution. The main task is to remove all the ice so that the lock mechanism works again. It is important to know the correct course of action so as not to worsen the situation.

WHAT NOT TO DO

First, let's look at what not to do if the lock doesn't want to open. After all, the first reaction can be disastrous. In fact, a frozen castle is not fatal, but you just need to avoid making the situation worse. Often, angry car owners begin to try with all their might to turn the key in the lock in order to open the garage door with brute force. Is it correct? Not at all! Doing this is highly not recommended. Why?

The thing is that when the lock is frozen, you cannot open it by force. He's unlikely to give in. However, you can make things worse. Considering the way keys are made these days, it might just break inside keyhole. Now things are bad. You can’t just get the key, so most likely you will have to change the lock completely. This extra costs, time and effort. What then should be done? let's consider the right ways solutions to the lock problem.

METHODS FOR OPENING A FROZEN LOCK

This phenomenon is not critical, because there are many proven and good ways. Some are simple, others are complex. But, thanks to them, you can open the lock and get to the garage. We have already learned that your task is to unfreeze the mechanism. Here are the tricks to help you:

Advice! Alternatively, use brake fluid. It is poured inside the castle and waited for about 10 minutes. The mechanism will immediately open.

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that there are also special pocket defrosters. To prevent a frozen castle from taking you by surprise, buy this product in advance and carry it with you. Thanks to such a variety of methods, you will definitely be able to open your lock and get to the garage.

How can you prevent the castle from freezing at all in the future?

PREVENTION OF FREEZING

If you don't want the problem to happen again, there are a number of steps you need to take. If your lock is a padlock, then cylinder models will not work well on the outside and will often freeze. Ideally, use a lever lock. As practice shows, they tolerate temperature fluctuations well and cope with their task.

Another way is to insulate the castle. Then condensation will not form in it. And to prevent dripping water from getting inside, it should be protected with a box. Then external factors they will not be afraid of him.

Finally, the device should be lubricated with silicone grease. It will help prevent moisture from freezing inside, so there won’t be any problems. After such manipulations, you will forget about what a frozen castle is.

CONCLUSION

Today you learned that the problem of frozen garage locks is quite common, but not critical. If you follow the rules and don't act rashly, the solution is quite simple. These methods will help you cope with the problem if it arises, and also protect yourself from it in the future.

Exist Various types locking mechanisms:

• No moisture should penetrate into the street lock mechanism, otherwise it will rust or freeze and stop opening.
• It is desirable that the castle be streamlined. This is better for drainage (moisture will not collect around the holes for the temple)
• The all-weather model should have rubber O-rings on the holes for the shackle, as well as a curtain or cap that protects the well from moisture and dirt.
• Locks made of cast iron and carbon steel rust in aggressive environments, so they must be protected with a plastic casing.
• one or two holes at the bottom of the lock with a diameter of 3 to 10 mm. They are needed to instantly remove moisture that flows into the housing.

But moisture will get inside the lock anyway. There is a simple word: Condensate (lat. condensatus - compacted, condensed) is the product of condensation of the vapor state of liquids, that is, the product of the transition of a substance during cooling from gaseous to liquid form. In other words, condensate is the liquid formed when steam condenses.
Result: Small code parts (spring-loaded pins) quickly rust and the lock fails. And if you bring sand or dirt into the well, the lock may not open next time.

The main conclusion: it is better not to use locks (mortise, overhead, padlock) with a pin, balance or frame type of mechanism on the street. Simply because of small coding details, and as a consequence more problems with moisture, dust, ice and dirt.

1. Special level series of KERBEROS locks for working in hard climatic conditions, including for locking ship doors.
For outdoor operating conditions, the plant produces a special lever series of KERBEROS locks, where the parts of the all-weather lock mechanism are made of stainless materials (only materials are used: LS62 (brass) and 12Х18Н10Т (stainless steel)).

The lock is designed to work in harsh climatic conditions, including for locking ship doors.

The locks are manufactured in accordance with TU 4981-001-77675263-2014 and using only materials: LS62 and 12Х18Н10Т, which protects the locks from corrosion.

The lock is spark-proof.

2. Screw padlocks (simple mechanism, no small code parts)

The locks are designed for locking premises that do not contain valuables: transformer and distribution substations (KTP, TP, RP), cable wells, electrical cabinets, sheds, boxes, containers, etc. The material of manufacture is steel, zinc coating, brass locking screw.